When It's Over, It's Never Over
by The-Loki
Summary: The realm of Fantastica gets a new visitor that knows far more about the Neverending Story than he should. A search begins to find a new human that has found his way into the realms of fantasy without a guide.
1. Chapter 1

When It's Over…

By Loki

Chapter 1

The lush green plains where the purple buffalo roam expanded endlessly beneath the Fantastican sky. A warm wind whispered through the emerald blades, tickling the hoofs of the gallant steed that galloped across the landscape. A gentle laugh escaped from the horse's mouth.

"What's so funny, Artax?" The green-skinned boy who rode atop asked.

"The grass tickles my hoofs, AtreeeeEEEEYYYY!!!." The horse screamed as it left the ground. A pearl-colored serpentine creature grasped the horse in his paws and took to the sky. The dragon that carried the horse and boy had no wings, yet flew as easily as anything that did. Atreyu, the green-skinned boy dressed in animal skins and wielding a bow and quiver, had to press himself against Artax's back to keep from being crushed between the two animals.

"Did you forget about me, Falcor?" Atreyu yelled from underneath the luckdragon's belly.

"Sorry, Atreyu!" Falcor called, but the giggle in his voice made it clear he had meant it entirely.

"Falcor, you bastard!" Atreyu muffledly bellowed from against the dragon's belly.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!" The luckdragon's boisterous laugh boomed through the clouds. "AHAHUC-"

The dragon choked on his own breath as he saw something that shouldn't be. A figure was standing, literally standing, on a cloud. The wind that purred over Falcor's body made the figure's long hair and coat flap in the open air.

"WHOA!!!" Falcor put on his draconic air-brakes, lurching Artax and Atreyu lurched forward with frightening momentum. Falcor screamed again as he felt his charges slip from his grasp.

The figure raised his arm, and the horse and boy's sudden freefall slowed enough for Falcor to swoop underneath and catch them on his back.

The luckdragon glided to the grassy plain and let his passengers off. None of them took their gaze off the airbound figure standing above them.

A collective gasp went up among them as the cloud-straddler took a step forward and began to fall. They collectively screamed when the figure vanished from sight mid-fall and landed on the grass mere feet from them. The man in front of them landed with the nimble grace of a cat. He stood full back up and tossed his long raven-black hair from his face. That face could make women swoon. It was soft and slightly effeminate, but held a strength and power that caused the trio to flinch. A ready smile, disarming as it was flawless, put them more at ease. Shining blue eyes made the black-clad person before them look almost angelic. If only for a moment. The fully black clothing, ankle-length leather coat, and sword hilt peeking out from inside the garment put them back on their guard.

"Since I'm the newcomer here, I'll start the introductions." The man said in a flavor of voice that never been heard in Fantastica. "I am Loki, from a realm far from here. I do believe I have the pleasure of Atreyu, Falcor, and Artax."

The Fantastican trio could only nod. They were too surprised to say anything. Loki nodded in return.

"Don't feel too alarmed. You all are rather famous. I'm the obscure one. At least right now…"

He looked around the plain. For a moment, he stopped when he spied a purple buffalo.

"Huh."

"What brings you here, Loki?" Atreyu boldly asked, trying to regain some solidity in the situation.

"I've actually read of your exploits, Atreyu. You're a fine hunter, and warrior, too. Falcor has luck with him all the time. Artax…is a horse that can talk. All very useful for the task I have ahead of me."

"What is that?" Artax asked.

"I'm looking for someone."

"Who?" Falcor pressed.

"Your time spent with Bastian Balthazar Bux is actually a very well-known story. The person I'm searching for connected with it so deeply he felt the same way Bastian felt when he read it. That it was written for him alone. So, subsequently, I know it as well as he does."

"Wait…" Atreyu said, starting to put things together. "Are you searching for a HUMAN, Loki?"

Loki nodded with exuberance. "Yes! One of extreme importance. He makes stories, too. Like Bastian, he's a god."

"Why are you searching for him?" Atreyu asked, prying for more.

"He's lost. He delved into darkness and can't find his way out. I'm the one best suited to help him. Since I'm new to Fantastica, it's most famous residents would be prime for the hunt!"

Artax surprised Atreyu and Falcor by asking something neither of them had thought of.

"If the human you are searching for is lost, and your realm is far away, how would you know to search here?"

Loki smiled.

"I just know. There's no explaining it. Just like I knew that asking you would earn your company."

Falcor, Atreyu, and Artax looked at each other. Loki was right. For some reason they did not know, they would aid him on his quest.

Truly, just the sound of going on another adventure sounded good to them.

"Fantastica is a very big place! Where would we start?" Falcor asked Loki.

"Given this is supposed to be the realm of all human fantasy, he could be anywhere. Literally. It might be best to start at the Ivory Tower. That's where things like this usually start, yeah? Someone there may have word of some weird things going down."

"Weird things? In Fantastica? That's the essence of this place!" Atreyu said almost with annoyance,

"_Touche_. Are we in agreement? The Ivory Tower?"

"That sounds good." Artax agreed. "Can you magically take us all there like you transported yourself from the sky?"

Loki shook his head.

"Only if I know where I'm going. Never been here before."

Atreyu climbed onto Artax, and Loki straddled Falcor's back.

"Atreyu, if you wouldn't mind leading the way…"

"HYA, ARTAX!"

The horse took off a gallop, and the luckdragon kept pace.

As the quartet began their journey to the Ivory Tower, Falcor asked Loki a pertinent question.

"Loki, what is the name of this human you are seeking?"

Once again, the Fantastican trio was surprised at their guest's answer.

"Oh…his name is Loki, too."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Shimmering, blinding light shone from the majesty that was the Ivory Tower. A glistening pillar stretched high above the plain below, partially surrounded by a hollow mountain. Three circular plateaus stood sentry around a summit of the pillar, where an egg-like structure stood, emitting massive power.

Power that Falcor's mysterious passenger could feel from two miles away.

"Whoa…" Loki muttered, gripping Falcor tighter. "She really IS powerful."

Atreyu glanced back at Loki. He wasn't at all surprised that Loki knew of the Childlike Empress. She was renowned far and wide. He had never seen anyone feel her presence from such a distance, though.

Falcor lowered his altitude, ready to alight at a public entrance. Loki stopped him.

"Land on top. She already knows we're here."

Falcor looked back, now surprised himself. Shrugging his draconian shoulders, he alighted on the top of the tower.

Almost immediately, the egg opened. Sitting inside, on a golden cushion, was a little girl of no more than ten. She was frighteningly delicate and impossibly beautiful. Atreyu, who had seen her once before, was slightly floored, by not only her presence, but also since he had never expected to see her again. Falcor and Loki, who had never been in the company of the Childlike Empress, dropped both their jaws nearly to their feet.

With a tiny smile, the Childlike Empress rose to her feet.

"Atreyu, how nice to see you again."

Her voice was small and quiet, yet somehow the very universe resonated with the sound. The utter unshakable confidence that Loki had displayed since his arrival was dissolving in the presence of the small girl. She approached him first.

"Loki…I saw you coming."

She took his hand. His electric blue eyes widened as some unknown energy surged into his being.

"The power to begin, Loki. This is my gift to you. I am the beginning. You are the journey."

"The Old Man in the Mountain is the end." Loki said, feeling the need to impart some knowledge in a situation where he suddenly felt very much like an outsider. "I do tend to be the one in the middle. I must say it's a pleasure, Empress."

The Childlike Empress laughed softly like a lilting tune.

"The Old Man has no part in this story. It ends with the human."

"This is HIS story, is it?"

"If he is here, then it is."

"Where is he?"

The Childlike Empress' deifically beautiful face grew sad. It was an absolute tragedy to see sorrow mar her visage. A tremble grew in Loki's lip as he watched.

"I do not know." She practically whispered. "Auryn has hidden in darkness."

"AURYN?!" Atreyu blurted out in shock. "He has Auryn? How did he get it?"

"He wished for it."

Loki stuttered. "He w-w-w-WISHED for it? Loki knows the Neverending Story! He knows what Auryn will do to him! He actually WANTED it? He knows once you start, there's no stopping!"

"Then you must find him quickly." The Childlike Empress returned to serene stalwartness. "Search the land. A great darkness is growing across Fantastica. The human Loki will be somewhere within it."

Loki steeled himself and tightened his grip on the Childlike Empress' hand. Even though she held gently, he thought even if he'd had the strength of a giant, he could not have broken her. He nodded with resolve.

"This journey begins."

Loki began to run back toward Falcor when he stopped and looked back. The Childlike Empress was already climbing back into her egg.

"Will there be no boons for my companions?" He asked. Atreyu and Falcor perked up at the suggestion.

"Their gift is a new adventure. It is a new life for them, that once again starts with me."

The egg closed. The trio knew somehow that would be the last they would see of the Childlike Empress.

"We search for darkness." Loki said with restored strength, clenching the hand that touched the Empress of Fantastica into a purpose-filled fist. A warm glow came from his closed hand that quickly escalated to a burning heat.

Loki opened his hand. A medallion lay on his palm. A looped chain was connected to a thick ring of dark bronze. Within that ring lay a thinner ring of shimmering silver which framed a yet smaller solid circle of brightly shining gold.

"That looks like…" Falcor started to say, when the tri-metal eye burned Loki's hand once again. He tossed it upward in reflex, and it landed backside-up. On the back of the strange artifact was an inscription.

FORGE A NEW PATH

Loki donned the medallion around his neck, leaving it to hang visibly outside his t-shirt. Finally drawing the sword he had kept hidden within the folds of his leather coat, he brought forth a red-hilted katana. Leveling it toward the vast land before them, he strode upon Falcor's back. Atreyu hitched up his bow and quiver, taking a place on Falcor's rump. Loki stood atop the luckdragon like a captain launching his ship out to sea. He gripped the medallion.

"We search for darkness…with new light!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Falcor, Atreyu, and Loki soared over the Fantastican landscape. Rivers, mountains, grasses, and swamps flew beneath them as quickly as they flew over them.

An hour passed.

"This place is huge!" Loki yelled.

"What?" Atreyu yelled back.

"I said this place is huge!"

"Fantastica has no boundaries! It goes on forever!"

"Why aren't we dead?"

"Huh?"

"DEAD! The air friction at this speed should kill us!"

"Air friction? What's that?"

"Never mind! I shouldn't give this universe any ideas! That's not the new path I care to forge!"

Loki suddenly lurched forward and grabbed at his neck.

"Touch down, Falcor!"

"Touch down?" The dragon asked.

"Land! This medallion wants to land!"

Falcor gave to a stop on a tall hill overlooking a village. Atreyu and Loki disembarked while Loki wandered off down the hill out of sight, seeming to be talking to something.

"Did you ever talk to Auryn?" Falcor asked Atreyu.

"Not like that."

"Get down here!" Loki called. The Greenskin warrior and luckdragon charged down the hill. The village at the base was made of straw huts, but it seemed to be completely uninhabited. The village had been eclipsed in a massive shadow. At first, the trio had assumed the village had lay in the shade of the hill, but the position of the sun was casting shadows on the opposite side of the hill. The village of huts was enshrouded in a darkness that was somehow independent of any obstacle or light source.

Loki bent down over the foreign dark. He stuck a finger into the blackness that permeated the grass.

His digit sunk into the ground, which was soft as a sponge.

"He's been here. Not that long ago. Hard to tell which way he went."

Atreyu took an involuntary step backward from the bizarre scene. His foot sunk an inch into the ground.

He jerked it back up. After a few seconds, the footprint rose back to being even with the surrounding soil, as if the planet was rejecting the blemish.

"Loki…I think he went this way."

The trio looked toward where the spongey ground led. A vast mountain range that blocked the sun loomed above them.

"I've been all over Fantastica…I've never seen those mountains before." Falcor gulped. For a moment his constant jovial self wavered.

Loki, however, smiled slightly.

"You did say Fantastica goes on forever…so that's no surprise. We've got a new story to forge."

He gripped the medallion.

"Shall we press on?"

When Falcor and his passengers soared over the mountaintops, the luckdragon stopped in mid-flight.

They had thought the mountains were simply blocking their view of the sun, but the land that lay before had no sun. It lay in perpetual dusk, teetering on the verge of black night, even though the midday rays of the Fantastican solar sphere blazed brightly behind them. A vast valley stretched as far as their sight could provide.

"This is interesting…" Loki whispered to no one. "I'd wager this wasn't even here until he came."

"Then it's like it was with Bastian? He's writing the story?"

"So long as he's here, he can shape Fantastica any way he wants. We're in for a real challenge. We're facing a god. THE God, as far as we're concerned."

"But Auryn will take every memory from him until he's an empty loon! It's happened many times before!"

Loki shot a look back at Atreyu that made him shudder.

"If I didn't care, than I'd allow it. Think of the damage he can do before that happens. Besides, he knows what Auryn will do. If I know him, he's not interested in taking over Fantastica, or just playing out every infantile desire until he's brain-dead. There's something darker behind this. The land is reflecting him."

Atreyu's grip on Falcor tightened. His warrior's courage flowed into him.

"Onward."

Falcor took off again, soaring across the unknown land that was still their home. Darkened rock zipped beneath them for ten minutes before a hint of civilization was found.

A small conclave of residences was huddled in a crevice in the rocky landscape. They didn't look like anything Atreyu or Falcor had ever seen.

Loki, on the other hand, knew modern masonry and shingling when he saw it.

He walked right up to the front door of the nearest abode and rang the doorbell.

The polished oak door opened with a creak. A short green troll with a pipe and smoking jacket opened the door, squinting behind a pair of spectacles.

Loki smiled warmly. Atreyu and Falcor raised mutual eyebrows.

"Hello, sir! I'm Loki…"

"Yes! The Loki!" The troll quickly answered. "Certainly know of you. What brings you around here?"

"I'm looking for someone."

"In the realm of Fantastica? Be looking for a while."

"The someone who created you."

"Isn't that you?" The troll puffed on his pipe.

"I'm a degree removed. This would be the person who made me."

"That would be someone powerful indeed."

"Yeah. He made where we are right now. Seen someone like that?"

"Someone like that would be very hard to miss. Cannot say I have. U-"

The troll looked around outside at the craggy barren landscape. His black eyes bugged.

"Goodness me! What IS this place?"

"Fantastica."

"This is not Glastonbury!"

"No…it's not."

With a little shriek, the troll jerked back inside. The door slammed loudly a millimeter from Loki's nose.

Loki gave a small sigh.

"Polisuth…sheesh."

"What are Polisuth?" Atreyu asked, thoroughly baffled at what had just occurred.

"Loki is a creator of worlds and stories, just like Bastian and the others that wielded AURYN. But Loki's even better at it. He'd invested immense amounts of effort and thought; spend years crafting these universes. And we're playing right into the heart of them. The Polisuth are from the same universe as me. It's the most expansive and well-known story Loki's made, and it's bound to be spread all over this place. What worries me is what else is here. There are stories of his I don't know about."

Falcor took a step forward, and tripped on one of the manifold rocks. He stumbled very ungracefully for a luckdragon, and collided into Atreyu and Loki, knocking them down. A palm-sized blade spun through the air, narrowly missing Falcor's serpentine back. The luckdragon looked up just in time to see a silhouetted figure melt out of view behind the mountain wall.

"Luck conquers all…even embarrassment." Falcor jovially smiled while Atreyu and Loki took their feet. "I saw we have ourselves a visitor. He threw something at us."

Atreyu's hunter eyes spotted the blade first, embedded between two rocks. He reached out to inspect it…

"NO!" Loki shouted. Atreyu yanked his hand away. Loki gingerly pinched the extruding part of the blade between his fingers to make sure it would not cut him. With a hard, sharp wiggle, he extracted the projectile.

What lay in his hand was a piece of metal cut into four protruding blades. On each point was a sticky green slime. He pressed the metal between his palms and hummed. A red glow came from within, and a moment later, molten metal melted to the rocks below.

Loki shook his hands and winced in pain.

"What was that?" Atreyu asked, taking another step away from the molten metal puddle.

"THAT…was a shuriken. It was poisoned. Whoever that was could have been aiming for any of us."

"What is a shuriken?"

"A weapon of a ninja. This is going to be interesting."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The trio forged onward. The mountain range soared beneath them until it gave way to a valley covered by a thick forest. Loki clutched at the medallion.

"There's something down there."

Falcor landed at the edge of the trees. Loki squinted, peering into the brush.

"Can anyone see anything?"

Atreyu put his ear to the ground.

There's movement a quarter-mile inside. A lot of it."

Falcor couldn't fit through the trees, so he floated over the tops while Loki and Atreyu trotted along on foot.

Not far inside, there was a maze of twisting brick roads that turned and curved on themselves leading in every plausible direction.

Signs were nailed to trees, saying things like "Forward", "Backward" "Inside", "This Way", and so on.

Loki and Atreyu exchanged glances.

"Which way do we go?" Loki asked.

"I'm late! I'm late!" A voice called as something furry ran between Loki's legs.

A black rabbit, the size of a hobbit, and wearing a colorful tie-dyed shirt, dashed along one of the roads, heading off out of sight.

"Looks like we go that way." Atreyu beckoned toward the unpunctual bunny.

They picked up the pace to a jog, following the rabbit. The rabbit was a quick bastard, and quickly left them in the proverbial dust.

Soon, they found themselves in a thick tree cover, unable to see Falcor, or the black rabbit.

"So…now what? Where are they?" Atreyu asked.

"All mimzy were the borogroves…and the momraths outgrabe…"

A funny voice echoed all around, joined by soft flashing lights.

Atreyu grew anxious. Loki smiled a huge grin.

"Awesome!"

A giant toothy grin dissolved into view on a tree branch. Loki's grew large to nearly match it. The grin was joined by a striped feline body, which continued to sing and smile at the pair.

"CHESHIRE CAT!" Loki yelled, pointing with glee. "HI, CHESHIRE CAT!"

Atreyu took two steps back, just as worried about Loki as the new visitor.

"Heard of me?" The grinning cat mused in a high-pitched drone.

"Heard a' ya? You rock! You're Loki's favorite character in Wonderland! He meant to make just like you!"

"Just like who?" The cat asked.

"Heh! Classic! But he couldn't do it! A lead can't be like you and work! No wonder he left you just as is! Can't be imitated!"

"Fascinating…he went that way, you know." The cat gestured upward with his paw, looking positively bored.

"Yes, I suspect the Luckdragon is still up there. Where's the Black Rabbit?"

"Oh, the rabbit…he went where the rabbit always goes."

"The Queen's Court I imagine…IF Loki was doing this Lewis Carroll way. But if the rabbit's black, then he isn't…how much would he change it? Time to find out! Where's the Court?"

"I suspect the Mad Hatter would know…" The Cheshire Cat droned. Its head was now disembodied, and the embodied portion was balancing on it.

"Can you stand on your head?"

"I'll do better!" With a devilish laugh, he snatched the cat's cranium off the branch and copied the trick.

"I'll stand on yours!"

While the Cheshire Cat's body grasped frantically at where its head had been, Loki started a song of his own.

"The Vorpal Sword went snicker-snack! He galumphed home to watch some Quack Pack! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"

"AAAAAGGGHH!!" Atreyu ran off into the forest, now convinced there was no one around that was sane.

"Yabber wabble dumpy doos!" The Cheshire's head groaned.

"Yorble worble vinky blats!" Loki retorted.

"Callo Valet!"

"Klaatu barada nikto!"

"Bandersnatch Quidditch!"

"Random nonsense word!"

"Ia Ia Cthulhu Fhtagn!"

"Finally…" Loki sighed. "Sweet clarity."

Loki punted the cat's head off into the trees. The remaining body applauded as it faded away.

"Finally some excitement I didn't have to caaauuuuuse!" The cat's head cheered as it soared off.

"You're awesome!" Loki shouted as he took off after Atreyu.

He didn't get far before his super-nose caught a highly familiar scent.

Opium.

Still wearing a crazed grin, he ran faster.

Sooner than expected, he ran face-first into a cloud of smoke.

Expectation was affirmed when a giant caterpillar lounged on a mushroom, smoking away the Chinese delicacy.

What completely defied expectation was the caterpillar's company. Both the black rabbit and Atreyu laid like lumps of dough on the mushroom, swimming in airbound opiate.

It didn't take long to piece it all together.

The rabbit was a Rastafarian, and Atreyu was accustomed to the peace pipe.

Loki meandered through the cloud toward the trio.

"A E I O U three hundred bucks n' all that shit…" Loki mumbled, wading into the smoky cloud.

"U? O R U?" The caterpillar snapped, still rude even whilst stoned.

"I M L!" Loki shouted, punching the caterpillar in its protruded nose. "I know Swedish!" He declared to no one.

"Guuhhh…" The black rabbit gurbled, sliding off the mushroom onto the grass.

"'Ey dude…where ya goin'?" Loki asked, sliding down to earth himself.

"Queen, whitey…Queen askin' for me…"

"Queen ain't here, my bunny brotha."

"Daaaaaaamn…ah fuck it." The rabbit melted further into a wad of dough.

Loki was about to share the sentiment, but in his daze, he remembered he was looking for someone. Embracing the story seemed to be a good way to continue the hunt. He grabbed hold of the rabbit and Atreyu and heaved them over his shoulders, but not before taking a big whiff of the opium cloud.

"Whhheeeee….." He laughed to himself before staggering off.

In his haze, he didn't notice the swish of the shuriken that whizzed through the air and slit open the caterpillar's throat.

"Wh…where's the court?" Loki stammered out as the drug took fuller hold further down the path.

"Uuuuuhhhhhh…dat way?" The rabbit gestured shakily.

"Atreyu, you're a tracker. What do you think?"

Atryeu was asleep.

"Dammit."

He hung his head for a moment, then saw the amulet around his neck. He smiled.

"Forging a new path, then."

He charged off in a random direction, trusting he would find his destination.

He kicked over trees, trampled through grasses, and scattered many a fantastic creature plowing through the Wonderlandscape. He barely noticed, as the opiate haze made everything a giant blur. What rational part of himself remained figured it was better that way, since in Wonderland, it seemed the only way to get somewhere was to have absolutely no idea where one was going.

Eventually he came to a high row of trimmed bushes that towered up to the treeline. Not even slowing down, Loki lowered his head and bashed through them. Partway through, he tripped over a root and crashed on the other side, sending Atreyu and the black rabbit skidding across the finely cut grass.

Loki coughed up a mouthful of dirt from the divot he'd made, and looked up to a cache of spears pointed at him. Each was held by a playing card with arms and legs.

"Found it!" He declared.

"WHO ARE THESE CHARLATANS!?" A booming voice resounded from the across the court. A huge, rotund woman with hearts all over her dress bellowed like a Viking opera singer at the downed trio.

Loki's gaze drifted upward. The sky was visible, and Falcor, lucky as always, was above, just now having found his companions.

Loki knew this scenario too well to bother playing anything out. He launched a preemptive strike.

"FALCOR! GO!" Loki called.

"RRRRAAGGHH!!" The luckdragon swooped downward toward the Queen of Hearts, sending her sprawling to the grass. The distraction was all Loki needed. He grabbed hold of the chambered spears, rolled himself to his back, and hurled the weapons, along with their holders, into the bushes. The adrenaline in his system was counteracting the opium, bringing him back to optimal condition. He charged the Queen of Hearts, drawing his sword. With a kamikaze yell, he cleaved the Queen in twain.

"WAH-HOO! I've wanted to do that for so long!" He cheered, slinging the blood off his blade. "Say…where's the king?"

He looked around. The court was now devoid of soldiers, and aside from the rabbit, the only other Wonderland native was now bisected.

"That was way too easy. Something's wrong."

Something struck Loki in the face and exploded. He clutched at his eyes as they began to sting horribly.

"AAGHH!!" He screamed as the pain was joined by a sharp pinch as something impaled its way into his gut. Loki keeled over, driving his katana into the soil to keep from falling over completely.

"OOOOWWW!!" Falcor screamed as something connected with the luckdragon's face as well.

In his blindness, he heard a distant SHING nearer to the bushes. He wrenched his sword free and took a wild swing. It connected with something metal, and was torn from his grasp. Something hit him square in the crotch, taking away his balance.

It took several minutes for the pain to stop. When he could finally see clearly, Loki looked frantically about. The first thing he noticed was the black rabbit's head had been lopped from its body. Strangely, Atreyu was left intact. Loki staggered over to the boy and slapped him in the face.

"Atreyu! Are you alive?"

"Whu?" The Greenskin warrior muttered.

"We're being hunted. I get the feeling we've tarnished Loki's playground, but he didn't kill us. That's strange. I suggest we get out of here fast."

Falcor, still wiping his eyes from the pepper bomb that had blinded him, shakily flew them off to another story.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Hours passed.

Falcor ended up flying through a thick cloud cover, and when it cleared, the trio was shocked.

The massive landscape was gone.

Instead, there was a vast expanse of water, with a small island in nearby view.

As Falcor descended closer, the island expanded in detail.

All three of them were dumbfounded. They had never encountered a place so physically segregated.

One quadrant of the island was wooded, another was snowy mountains, a third was grassy plains where tipis were visible, and the fourth was a watery bay, complete with mermaids and a massive pirate ship.

"Oh…shit." Loki stammered.

"You know what that is?" Atreyu asked.

"Neverland." Loki said with a bit of foreboding. He looked at Atreyu. "We're going to have a sticky situation."

"How so?"

"We're not going to really be welcome anywhere, thanks to our party makeup."

"Then where should we land?" Falcor asked over the loud winds.

"I'm thinking!" Loki called back.

Then he realized he didn't have to.

Grasping the tri-metal eye, he clasped it to him, asking it where they should go.

A strange expression crept over his face.

"That's interesting…to the ship!"

Falcor began descending farther toward the ship. As the luckdragon neared, cannons began turning toward them.

"Thought that might happen…Hang tight! I'll handle this!"

"Loki, what do you…NO!!" Atreyu screamed as Loki jumped off Falcor, freefalling toward the pirate ship.

The Greenskin warrior and Luckdragon shared the buccaneers' amazement when Loki landed feet-first on the water. Yes, ON the water, as it gave and bent like a trampoline, shooting him back upward and onto the ship's deck.

"Good day, gents." Loki said, looking about. "Where is the Captain, please?"

Eyeing a short, squat man with a white beard, Loki broke into a smile.

"Mr. Smee! Could you show me to James Hook's quarters?"

The first mate hesitated, wondering how this newcomer had known him.

"Have we met?"

Loki grinned broadly.

"We just did!"

That seemed to be good enough for Smee. He vanished below deck.

That left Loki with a welcoming party armed with pistols and cutlasses.

"You flew." One of the pirates grunted.

"No, I didn't. I'm a grown-up, like all of you. Not with Pan."

"What are you?" Another garbled.

"…Loki."

The deck door opened once again. With Smee closely behind, a disheveled man hastily fastening his red coat and securing his blade emerged.

Adjusting his wig with one hand, he tossed his black triangular hat onto his skull with a hook attached to his other arm.

With a final preening gesture, the man smoothed out his moustache and regarded the black-clad intruder on the ship's deck.

"Captain James Hook! A pleasure!"

Loki bowed slightly, showing good form.

Hook returned the gesture, bowing slightly less, conceding to procedure.

"You may be, sir?" Hook asked the guest.

"Loki. A pirate recently arrived in Neverland."

Hook's eyebrow cocked.

"Where is your ship?"

"I don't have a ship. I have a dragon."

Loki gestured upward.

Hook looked up, and did his best to hide his fluster.

"Oh. What brings you to Neverland?"

"I have yet to find out. I suspect it has to do with Pan."

Hook's hand went his sword. The other pirates inched closer.

Loki raised his empty palms.

"Captain…I am not armed. Is that good form?"

A moment later, Hook released his grip.

"It is not, sir."

"May the rest of my crew dock on board?"

Loki pointed upward. In his shock, he could only nod.

"Thank you, Captain." Loki said with good form. Falcor alighted on the deck, and many crewmen's attention focused on Atreyu.

"An Indian boy! I think…" Smee mused at the Greenskin. Atreyu's eyebrows were raised at the horde of pirates eying him with their cutlasses.

Loki inched closer, between the luckdragon and the pirates.

"So what if he is? He's a member of my crew. I came from another place, where your rivalry with the Indians is not shared, Captain."

Hook's eyebrow cocked. He stroked at his chin with his hook.

"This may prove useful, sir."

Loki smiled slyly.

"Thought so."

"Do you have a proposition, then, Loki?" Hook asked.

With a glance back at his companions, Loki grasped the tri-metal eye. He seemed to go elsewhere for a moment, before blinking hard and letting out a little laugh.

"We're here for Pan."

Some time later, Atreyu was in Neverland's forest, hunting. His bow and arrow was at the ready. His green ears perked at the slightest sound. A rustling in the brush caught his aim. He cocked his arrow and let it fly.

"OW!" A young voice screamed. A boy, clothed in ragged pajamas, stumbled into the open. He clutched at his arm, which was bleeding.

The boy grabbed hold of a branch to keep from falling. Atreyu lowered his bow.

The boy staggered forward. Atreyu reached out to catch him.

"So sorry!" The Greenskin warrior said. "I was looking for game. Seems I found a Lost Boy. Which one are you?"

"Nibs…" The boy groaned, grabbing a leaf and pressing it on the wound to absorb the blood.

As the panic of being grazed by an arrow passed, Nibs eyed Atreyu with disbelief.

"You're green!"

"Yes, I am."

"I've never seen a green Indian."

"What color Indians do you usually see?"

"Red."

"HUH?"

Atreyu couldn't even imagine that.

"I suppose if you met the red Indians, we could make a Christmas tribe!"

"What is Christmas?" Atreyu asked, thoroughly baffled.

Nibs gawked at Atreyu.

"What is Christmas? Everyone knows about Christmas! Except for the…and that…oh."

"You don't sound well, Nibs. Should I get you home?"

"I suppose. Peter would want to meet a green Indian."

"Peter? Peter Pan?"

Nibs looked at Atreyu for an awkward moment.

"You're not from here, are you…?"

"Atreyu. And no."

"Were you sent here…like me?"

"…Kind of."

"Then you should meet the rest of the Lost Boys! Come!"

Nibs grabbed hold of Atreyu with his good arm and ran off into the forest. Atreyu stumbled across the brush and nearly fell on his face trying to keep up.

In time, they arrived at a giant gnarled tree.

"Since you're not a Lost Boy, you have to not look. There's a secret entrance."

Atreyu know honor enough not to intrude. He turned away.

Nibs laid his finger on the secret knot…

A jubilant crow echoed across the open sky.

"It's Pan!" Nibs shouted.

Atreyu's gaze went upward.

A boy, even younger than he, and garbed in stitched leaves, was flying through the air. He boisterously crowed once more before swooping down through a hole in the forest canopy. Startled, Atreyu leapt back from the flying boy, who laughed loudly at his landing.

Atreyu quickly took him in. He was smaller than both he and Nibs, but looked more dangerous than both of them. There was an terrifying age in his eyes that deeply unsettled Atreyu.

The younger boy quickly strode up to Atreyu and looked him over.

"He's green, Nibs! Who is this?"

"Umm…Atreyu, Peter! He's new to Neverland!"

Peter's eyes narrowed at the newcomer.

"Where do you come from?"

"Fantastica."

Peter was confusedly silent.

"Where is that?"

"Here."

"Stop lying to me!"

Peter drew his sword and leveled it at Atreyu. Atreyu drew his knife and readied himself to duel.

Soon as he was ready, Peter unloaded a vicious attack that quickly disarmed Atreyu. The Greenskin's knife went sailing into the brush.

As Peter's blade moved toward Atreyu, the knife came sailing back from the wood, making Nibs and Pan dive groundward to dodge the flying metal.

Loki emerged from the brush, smiling devilishly.

"I know you have a sick sense of honor, Pan. You wouldn't give an unarmed opponent such an undignified finish, would you?"

"PIRATE!" Pan exclaimed.

"Close enough." Loki sneered. He drew no weapon. He stood there, ready for Pan to act.

Pan boldly took to the air, retargeting his blade to run the pirate through.

At that moment, the clearing was filled with pirates, followed by Hook and Smee.

"A whole lot of pirates." Loki gloated. Pan stopped for a moment in mid-flight, calculating what to do next.

He looked up toward the opening the treeline where he entered. A giant luckdragon loomed above it. He had nowhere to go.

"Captain…as we agreed. I'll have this." Loki stated.

"As we agreed." Hook nodded.

"Well, Eternal Youth…it's your move."

Peter geared himself to attack.

"I warn you, though…I'm just like you."

"You're nothing like me!"

"I've heard that before." Loki smirked.

"You're a grown-up! I am youth! I am joy!"

"You're just like me."

"HOW?" Pan spit.

"We're both orphans. I lost my parents. You abandoned yours."

Pan was stunned. His eyes started to water.

"I lost the life I knew. I ended up a vagabond criminal because of it. I lived in a rock. You live in a tree."

Pan's grip on his sword tightened.

"I go from woman to woman, seeking transient comfort. You hate your mother for forgetting about you after YOU abandoned her, yet you're constantly trying to replace her. How many girls have you brought here?"

Tears started streaming down Pan's face.

"I'm well aware that you impulsively live from moment to moment, specifically so you don't have to remember anything that ever happens. You forget everyone you kill. You kill reflexively. How many Lost Boys have you slain when they hit puberty? But it doesn't keep the memories away, does it? Every night, your dreams torment you. You've been in Neverland, living the life of a god, but you've always regretted leaving your nursery when you were only days old. Kids are so fucking stupid."

Pan's face grew tense enough to explode. Even Hook began to protest.

"Loki! This is bad form!"

"Your mother loved you, Peter! She missed you! You thought you could take that for granted! Anyone with a shred of a backbone would grow up and move on the next thing! She replaced you! It's YOUR fault!"

"AAAAGHHH!!"

Pan's tear-stained face released an agonized scream as he flew like a missile at his provoker, who stood with arms outstretched, awaiting the strike.

"Come on, child. Do what you always do. Reap your karma."

"NNYYAAAGGHHH!!" Pan screamed in rage, prepped to slaughter the pirate who would dare drag his demons to the surface.

At the last possible moment before the flying boy's blade plunged into his gut, Loki swung his body from the sword's path. At the same moment, his hand vanished inside the folds of his leather coat.

An instant later, for the first time since the journey began, the red-hilted katana emerged from the leather folds, slashing across Pan's neck.

The eternal youth's head went flying from his body, bouncing off the Lost Boy's tree, coming to a bloody halt in the grass.

The headless body slammed into another tree, knocking it over.

The clearing was completely silent. Everyone there was gawking at Loki with disbelief and fear.

Loki slung the blood from his blade and replaced it in his coat.

"I used to like that kid…until I found what was he really is. Too much like me. Sorry to take that from you, James…but I knew you couldn't beat him."

"Was that truly necessary?" Hook asked.

"I think so. We needed Atreyu to lure Pan to a vulnerable position. Well done, Atreyu. I guess now you see what a bastard he was. He was going to kill you outright."

"Heh." Atreyu nervously laughed. "Did you have to decapitate him?"

"Even I couldn't have beaten him in a fair fight. I'm starting to see what our purpose is here. If I'm not mistaken…"

SWOOSH

A sickening THUD drew everyone's attention to Nibs', who had Atreyu's knife sticking from his throat.

With a pathetic gurgle, he fell and moved no more.

The pirates drew pistols and cutlasses, but Loki stayed them.

"Won't do any good. He's already gone."

"Who?" Hook demanded.

"The man I'm searching for. We're getting closer. Since Pan is dead, I don't think you have much cause to remain in Neverland, Captain. I suggest you set sail. You might be next."

"Terrible form." Hook mumbled.

"Ninjas are not known for form. They're known for results."

Bending down over Nibs' dead body, Loki gave the Lost Boy some last words."

"It's known you wanted to leave Neverland and grown up. But when you did, you wish you hadn't. It's better this way; never knowing what it is to be an adult. I think I see now why this place is closer to the center. We're cutting towards the heart. Atreyu, Falcor…we should go."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

In time, the vast water expanse ended at another massive mountain range. On the other side was a sprawling forest.

"Looks as though we've reached our next excursion. The eye says we need to go into the trees!"

Falcor couldn't go into the forest, of course, so Atreyu and Loki ventured inside while Falcor glided over the canopy. The wood within was thick and noisy.

A quarter-mile in, the trees gave way to a clearing. Within was a horde of armored soldiers swarming around something. Every few seconds, one of them would go sailing into the trees. Loki and Atreyu lingered at the edge of the clearing as Falcor alighted on the scene and hovered above the thinner arboreal canopy. He juked to the side to dodge an armored crony careening upward out of the clearing.

A break in the swarm revealed a man in a green tunic and brown pants. He had blonde hair that hung just past his chin, and moved with impossible grace. He was laden down with so many objects, he shouldn't have been able to stand. He wore a red pair of gauntlets and was thrashing his fists in a whirlwind of blows. Each time his hand connected, whatever it touched left the terrasphere and soared away.

Soon, there was no one left but the green-clad man and a slew of broken trees where the armored men had crashed through.

Loki and Atreyu kept their positions, unknown of what the man would do.

It didn't last long.

The green-clad man looked toward their positions. He reached for a bejeweled sword strapped across his back.

"I know you're out there."

Loki and Atreyu came into view. Each of them had their hands on their weapons in a casual manner, so as not to overtly provoke anything.

"We're not with them. We're passing through." Loki said with firm casuality. "I'm Loki. This is Atreyu. The dragon up there is Falcor."

The man looked upward, then quickly dropped his gaze back down, catching Loki in mid-step. The bejeweled sword peeked out from its scabbard.

"Daran. Those who know me would advise you not to deceive me."

"Point taken. I was coming more fully into the light. We seek a man. Perhaps he has been through here. His name is Loki as well."

Daran cocked an eyebrow.

"Haven't heard of such a thing, but I am only freshly come to these fields. The castle across the grasses may know."

Daran looked up toward Falcor.

"My guidance for transport."

"Sounds fair." Atreyu shrugged. "But will Falcor be able to carry all of us with all that weight on you, Daran? I'm amazed you can carry it yourself."

Daran glanced down at the menagerie of cargo on his person. His was loaded down with treasure and weaponry enough to collapse the ground beneath him. Books, blades, sacks of money, and ornate, arcane jewelry that glittered with a life of its own. Daran held up his hands and nodded toward the red gauntlets.

"These give me strength. The boots lighten my step."

It was then that Loki and Atreyu noticed that Daran left no footprints on the ground below.

Minutes later, the quarter was flying across the landscape. The forest was massive, but in time thinned to vast grassland stretching out for miles. Atreyu thought of home.

The mountain range bordered it on each side, isolating the lush valley from the rest of Fantastica's endless expanses. Far off in the distance was a large castle surrounded by a town belonging in a Tolkien novel. Medieval valley was awaiting them.

"Medievalley." Loki said absentmindedly, clutching the tri-metal eye. "That's the place's name. It's what Loki's named it. Huh. I would have expected something less cheesey."

He involuntarily inhaled. A sweet fresh scent from the grasses wafted into nostrils, making his brain quiver with ecstasy.

"He sure made the place smell good, though."

When the town was near enough, Falcor landed at its gate.

"I'll get us in. The king knows me."

"Didn't you say you were new to this place?" Atreyu asked.

Daran only smiled slyly.

"Everyone knows me."

Daran knocked on the gate. A guard answered. Loki leaned toward Atreyu during the exchange.

"Something is very odd."

"Aside from what he just said?"

"I knew a Daran. From some time back in a different place. But he wasn't this guy. It wouldn't make sense for Loki to make two Darans."

Falcor made an observation.

"You did say that Medievalley was a rather stupid name, and the other Loki is known to have a talent for words. Could it be this is somehow a different draft of Daran? A rewrite or earlier version before you met? I have to wonder if we're not somehow going backwards through Loki's earlier stories before you. We did meet a person from your story near the beginning of our journey, and we're delving farther and farther into unknown territory."

Loki just stared at Falcor.

"That's a Hel of a stab with practically no evidence. But that makes sense. How'd you manage that?"

Falcor smiled.

"Lucky guess."

The gates opened.

A bustling marketplace lay before them. Carts, booths, and merchants danced the commercial dance, peddling their wares. Daran strode right inside like he owned the place. Loki and Atreyu followed suit. For once, Falcor went in on foot.

Jubilant music from bards filled the square. Lutes and flutes were the tunes of the day. A smile broke out across Atreyu's face at the sound. It made him think of home of the plains. Falcor began to groove to the lilting notes as well.

"Very nice." Loki grinned at the song. "I love this stuff."

Daran was walking quickly, ducking and weaving through marketgoers to the other side of the square. The remaining three were left behind.

They weren't worried. The castle was clearly visible on a hill overlooking the town square. Loki stopped at a booth to sample the wares.

The merchant was short, squat, and bearded. Loki had expected that.

The counter was covered with rings.

"MAGIC rings, revered traveler! Rare finds from far off lands!"

Loki covered his face to stifle a laugh. He could already tell they were made of glass.

He looked back up, ready to disarm the merchant and swindle him out of his worthless fare.

It wasn't going to work.

Mainly since the merchant had already been disheaded.

The decapitated corpse stood there a few seconds, as natural as can be, before slumping on a bloody mess on the ground.

Loki's gaze jerked about. He caught only the faintest glimpse of a cloak vanishing into the crowd before Loki followed and vanished literally. It was better to not be caught as the killer than to worry about finding him.

Quickly finding Atreyu and Falcor at a different booth, Loki's invisibility spell dropped for a moment and he tugged them away.

"We should go. Right now."

Loki's urgency told them not to hesitate.

The trio picked up the pace and pushed through the crowd, breaking into a run when Daran was back in sight, and a scream erupted from the square.

"What happened?" Daran said bluntly.

"…Not really sure." Loki said with honesty.

"Hm. Likely hear the story later. The king's waiting."

"How does he know we're here?"

"When I arrive, people know."

"That's convenient." Atreyu muttered.

"Literary convenience, I wager. No need for any event buildups."

The guards stepped aside at Daran's approach to the castle. He went right in.

Falcor couldn't fit through the doors, and the guards were eyeing him warily. Atreyu elected to remain outside with the luckdragon.

Even though Daran had never been there before, he beelined straight for the throne room.

Inside, was a strong-looking man with a brown beard, red robes, and a glistening golden crown.

"How perfectly stereotypical…" Loki muttered to himself.

"King Regal." Daran said matter-of-factly.

"Now it's just stupid…" Loki whispered to himself.

"Queen Caliente." Daran addressed the king's thronemate.

"Queen what?" Loki burst out loud. "Oh…"

The queen looked quite young. She appeared to be around fifteen. Her face was so beauteously fragile Loki afraid to even exhale. Her hair was a glowing blonde that had a halo all of its own.

As his eyes drifted downward, her purple robes gave away a slightly chunky body. Not enough to be a turnoff, only to make her look more like a normal girl.

Loki started to move forward. Running into Daran's back, and the scornful look he got for it, brought him back to self-control.

"Daran. It is good you are here." The king stated. "Our kingdom is in great peril."

Daran gave a small smug smirk.

"Does this happen everywhere you go?" Loki whispered.

Daran didn't answer. He didn't have to. Loki had already put the pieces together. The king continued.

"A fierce dragon has taken hold of the lands to the east…"

Loki pinched his nose. This was the most cliché crisis he had ever heard.

"It has raided villages, stolen valuables, and hoards them in his cave."

Loki buried his hand in his face.

"Come on, Loki. You're better than this."

His body involuntarily jerked sideways as he felt the breeze of something blast past him insanely fast.

"HURK!" King Regal grunted.

Something metal was sticking out of his gut. His red robes were staining darker with crimson blood.

"Your Majesty!" The sentries cried, rushing toward the king. The queen was in hysterics.

Loki once again scanned the area for any unknown presences. As he suspected, nothing.

He grabbed Daran's shoulder.

"We should go."

Daran's hand was on one of his many accoutrements.

"I suppose we should."

Outside, Loki hopped onto Falcor. Daran followed. Atreyu didn't need to ask. He joined them, and Falcor took to the air.

"Where to?" The luckdragon asked.

"East." Daran said.

"What's in the east?" Atreyu asked.

"A dragon." Daran said flatly.

"A dragon! Yay!" Falcor exclaimed.

"It's a bad dragon." Daran said equally flatly. "He had some spy in the throne room that killed the king."

"We don't know for sure that he died." Loki interjected. "Also, I suspect that had nothing to do with the dragon. I'd wager that was Loki."

"YOU did it?!" Daran shouted, reaching for a weapon. Loki pinned Daran's hand down.

"No. Another Loki. He's why we're here. We're searching for him."

"Looks like you found him already."

"More like he finds us. He comes and goes whenever he likes. He's a god."

"That makes things more difficult. Then why hasn't just killed the lot of you?"

"Truly…I don't know."

Medievalley zipped beneath them. Forests, valleys, towns, and a massive lake rushed past in a half-noticed blur.

"Where is the dragon supposed to be?" Atreyu asked.

"In a cave in the east." Daran answered.

"That doesn't help much!"

"I wager we would have gotten more info, if the king hadn't gotten impaled." Loki added. "If this dragon is as tyrannical as we were told, he shouldn't be hard to find."

"I thank you all for the transport. A trek like this would have taken days."

"I know the feeling." Atreyu affirmed. "I once had the task of saving the Childlike Empress from death by The Nothing. Without Falcor, we never would have succeeded."

"Childlike Empress? Of what kingdom?" Daran asked.

Atreyu blinked hard. He'd never known of any inhabitant of Fantastica not knowing of the Childlike Empress.

Loki could feel Atreyu's bafflement.

"This is Loki's Fantastica. Not the Childlike Empress'."

"But Loki wields AURYN! You know as well as I that its power's boundary is the Childlike Empress!"

"Yes…yes, I do. It baffles me as much as it does you, Atreyu."

He gripped the tri-metal eyes around his neck.

"I wonder…this wasn't in your story, was it?"

"No. It wasn't."

"So something is very different. The rules have changed…or never were what we thought they were."

"What are you talking about?" Daran asked, feeling left out.

"A human that we're seeking."

"This Loki guy? You said he was a god."

"Here, yes. Humans are gods here."

"That's ludicrous. My father was a human. He was no god."

Daran pushed back his hair to reveal pointed ears.

"Mother was an elf."

"Ah. We share some common lineage." Loki nodded. "It's dangerous to explain what we mean. Anyone that seems to know anything has a habit of dying really fast."

"We're all the way up here. What could happen?"

A sudden, violent air pressure shift sent Falcor careening downward.

Atreyu and Daran fell unconscious instantly.

Only Loki, who had been clutching the medallion, remained coherent.

The pain of the drop was giving him a massive headache; so much so he couldn't think straight.

He forced out a thought. A beseechment to the medallion to continue the story.

Everything went black.

He came to, to the sounds of wails, screams, and the distinctive scent of burning straw.

Blinking back into consciousness, his blurry vision focused into a sight of a peasant's village. Thatched roofs were burning and townsfolk were running in a panic from an onslaught of goblins that infested the village.

"Should've been more specific…" Loki groaned, checking to see if his companions were with him.

None of them were in sight.

"Damn." Loki muttered, drawing his katana. A singing slash severed sinew, sending goblins simultaneously sliding somewhere away from battle.

"Can do without the alliteration." Loki muttered toward the medallion.

Sorry.

Loki didn't have to question the correctness of his joining the battle. In stories as cliché as this one, the ugly creatures were bad for no other reason than being bad.

Loki's blade danced about, cleaving goblin limbs from goblin bodies.

As it plunged through the abdomen of one of the creatures, its scream was muffled by the outcrys of other goblins, fleeing into the main square.

Giving chase was Atreyu and Daran, while Falcor dangled a bundle of the impish things from his paws.

Their blades swung freely, reaping goblins from their own feet. Falcor dropped the gaggle of goblins from his grasp…

"Alliterating again?" Loki asked, peeved.

…smashing them to the terra firma below.

The remainder of the goblin retreated so quickly no one could have chased them if they tried. Loki dunked his bloody blade in the fountain in the town's center to wash it off. Atreyu and Daran followed suit.

"STOP! Please!" A villager with a long white beard shouted. "Taint not the fountain!"

"Oh! Sorry!" Loki said. He cast his hand over the water, and the red dilution dissolved.

The villager gazed inside the fountain, and sighed with relief.

"Our eternal thanks for your assistance, but the fountain can never be tainted with other fluids."

"It's magic?" Daran asked.

"Yes."

"It's always magic." Daran quipped.

"The goblins were attempting to run us from our town. They want the fountain."

"For?" Atreyu asked.

"Beneath the soil is a magic spring. We built our town here to make use of it."

"Damn…I've heard that one before, too." Loki muttered. "So…what does the spring do?"

"It grants great life to our harvests and people. All things planted in the soil grow large and strong."

Falcor, Atreyu, and Falcor all exchanged glances.

"Water of life." They all said in unison.

"Any idea if the goblins are in anyone's employ?" Daran asked. "Water like that would be useful to anyone, but goblins don't usually act on a scale this large on their own."

"There is a dragon that has taken hold of this land. It resides in a cave east of here by some leagues."

"Could be the dragon…could be Loki." Loki whispered to his in-the-know companions.

"Excellent! Then we know where we're off to!" Daran turned to reboard Falcor.

A gentle grip lay on Daran's hand. A buxom blonde with fantabulous tits was nestling close to him.

"Please don't go, sir. Not yet."

"If you insist…" Daran slid a hand under her hips to hoist her over her shoulder.

A second one laid on Daran's other shoulder. Loki's gaze was hard.

"Don't."

Daran's returning gaze with filled with fury.

"Why not?"

"It's a death sentence. Do the deed, you will die. Doesn't matter who with."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Since stuff like that has happened every place we've been to before this. Tell ya what, we go handle this dragon. If nothing happens to us while we're there, we'll bring you right back here. Will that work?"

Daran's eyes narrowed. A moment passed.

He set her back down.

"I'll be back." The green-clad warrior winked at the girl. With a hostile grunt, he climbed onto Falcor with the other humanish types.

In time, a massive mountain with a large cave opening loomed in the distance. A small trail of smoke wisped from the cave entrance.

Falcor alighted gently on the rock ridge above the opening. The quartet spoke in hushed whispers.

"The dragon appears to be inside. How should we go about this?" Atreyu asked.

"I will handle it." Daran nodded with supreme confidence.

"Very well." Loki agreed; content to see what Daran was really capable of.

Daran jumped down in front of the cave mouth and loudly declared, "DRAGON! YOUR TIME HAS COME!"

A massive blast of flame erupted from the cave. When it subsided, Daran was still there, wrapped in a red cloak that was crackling with flames. Everything beneath its folds was unscathed. Daran threw back the cloak, revealing an axe made of gold; gripped in his gloves of godlike strength. With a feral yell, he charged into the cave.

Thirty seconds passed, complete with roars, clangs, and sickening breaking noises.

Daran emerged from the cave, smoke billowing from the fire cloak, and carrying a monstrously large red dragon head that no man his size should be able to heft.

"Always red dragons…what the F?" Loki wondered aloud.

"We can inform the oppressed people to come here to retrieve their goods…and I do believe I'm due back at the village for my just reward!" Daran smiled cockishly.

"I suppoOHSHIT!" Loki exclaimed, looking past Daran.

Daran whirled around. A figure clad entirely in black was behind him. Its face was covered in a mask, revealing only a pair of blue eyes. A blue-hilted katana was already in its hand.

"LOKI!" Loki shouted. The black-clad figure did not respond. It was focused on Daran.

Daran heaved the dragon head at the adversary, buying time to brandish a weapon.

The blue katana cleaved through the red draconic skull, and an instant later, through Daran's as well.

The seemingly impervious warrior fell in two pieces at the feet of the enemy.

The figure's blue eyes looked up to where the others had been.

They were already gone, flying away as fast as Falcor could soar.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Falcor soared across the Fantastican sky as fast as he could. The farther they flew, the darker the skies grew. Clouds grew thick as the luckdragon pressed forward. The grey billowing blobs of water particles obscured the view, and sent chilled shivers down the collective spine of the trio.

Eventually, the discomfort grew too much for Falcor, and he dove downward.

When the cloud cover loomed above them, a new scene lay below.

Loki was surprised, but Atreyu and Falcor were baffled.

They had never seen a modern Earth town before.

Loki had seen many, but furrowed his brow wondering what its significance could be.

Unconsciously, he gripped the tri-metal eye, feeling an apprehension greater than any thus far.

From the air, they could see the whole town. Its borders were flanked by cornfields stretching farther than they could fathom, even from their height. Aside from some scraggling subdivisions on the outside of the town, everything was compressed inside the town's nucleus. Manifold modest homes of varying sizes, several bars, two churches, and three schools.

"What is this?" Falcor asked.

"This is what villages in my world look like. Don't know what this is doing here. Loki leans toward fantasy stuff. This is really…mundane."

The tri-metal eye surged with warmth. Loki's head involuntarily turned to his right. At the northeastern edge of the town was a large grey building shaped almost as a perfect rectangle.

With his hand affixed to the eye, Loki's vision clouded as a tangible haze of black emanated from the building.

"There." Loki beckoned to the building. "Whatever that is…that's where we're headed."

Falcor alighted in front of the building, which was now making Atreyu and him recoil from the sheer negative intensity.

A sign with a cardinal adorned the front entrance.

"Stillman Valley High School." Loki read. "Can't say I've heard of it."

His nose pricked up.

"I smell blood. A lot of it."

He didn't wait to see what the source was. Loki drew his red-hilted katana. Atreyu drew his dagger. They charged inside, through the wall of glass doors. Falcor burst through them, leaving only shards in their wake.

Inside was a massacre. Mutilated mangled corpses littered the inner lobby. A lake of blood was rising among the bodies, filled by the constant bleeding of the lifeless meat sacks.

The trio grew nauseous at the sight and scent. They began to waver in their tracks, attempting to keep their stomachs from hurling up everything they'd ever eaten.

It was at that moment the perpetrator struck.

A black blur swooshed across the lake of blood, slashing a massive gash across Loki's face. Part of his nose went sailing off, and his grip on his sword loosened.

He was blindsided by another strike, which Falcor surged forward to intercept. His massive form collided with something, which fell into the pool of blood.

An instant later, it exploded back into view.

Clutching his face, which was already mending; Loki's jaw dropped when he finally saw the attacker.

For a moment, he thought he was looking in a mirror.

The opponent wore a long black coat, currently covered in blood. His inner garments were completely back as well. Long black hair tumbled into his face. His face, partially obscured by his hair, was chalk white. His eyes and lips were darkened with harlequin makeup.

In his hand, he held a massive black blade. It was so huge; it belonged in a samurai anime. Somehow, the figure was holding it in one hand.

He raised the massive blade to strike once more, then hesitated. Loki's mending face caught his own.

Atreyu and Falcor, now seeing the close resemblance themselves, grew confused.

The figure in makeup tossed the blood-wetted hair from his face to get a better look at Loki.

The resemblance was there, but the other's face was younger, looking to be late teens, and had a harder features. Loki's face had always looked slightly girlish. Even through the makeup, there was no doubt the other's was that of a man.

"Who are you?" The two black-clad fighters said in unison.

The tri-metal eye answered.

"Sean Collins." Loki said as the thought pulsed through his mind.

The other's eyes grew wild. He moved forward.

"You are not! I'M Sean Collins!"

Loki lunged forward in response, plunging his katana through Sean's abdomen.

"Name's Loki. Pleasure to meet you, Sensei."

Sean didn't even wince. Grasping the blade, he held it fast and cracked Loki in the face with his hilt. Loki staggered backward, colliding into Atreyu, who until now hadn't known what to do about the skirmish.

Sean ripped the blade from his body and threw it aside. The impalement healed within seconds.

"Oh no…" Loki muttered. "He really is my predecessor."

Sean grinned manically, readying his blade for another strike. Falcor lunged forward once more to smother the fighter under his weight.

This time, Sean was ready. A penetrating kick dug into the luckdragon's body, sending him skidding back into the mess of glass. Atreyu engaged in Falcor's wake, slashing expertly with his dagger.

His strikes met only metal as Sean matched him blow for blow, until catching the Greenskin's arm and smashing it with his elbow. The breaking bone echoed across the blood-flooded room along with Atreyu's scream.

Holding the Greenskin close, Sean cocked the black blade to deliver the killing strike.

A steel blade shot across the sword's arc, stopping it an inch from Atreyu's skull.

Loki wasted no words. He ground his foot on top of Sean's, pinning it to the floor. His other leg slammed its knee into Sean's, making the limb buckle.

Sean grabbed hold of Loki as he fell, dragging him down into the lake of blood. Sean twisted as he fell, rotating Loki underneath him, submerging his face in life fluid.

As the mage choked and suffocated, he realized Sean was a better fighter.

They both couldn't be hurt, but Sean would make certain Loki suffered. A lot.

Sean's hands clamped down on Loki's throat, further constricting his clogged airway.

Atreyu gripped Sean's bloody coat, attempting to pull him back as his dagger plunged downward.

Sean's foot crashed into Atreyu's abdomen, sending him flying backward into Falcor, who was only just recovering from his own assault.

The Greenskin smacked into the luckdragon's face, knocking him unconscious.

Loki knew none of this. All he knew was Sean lifted his weight off his torso for brief moment.

At that moment, Loki kicked his own legs up, heaving Sean off him and rolling him over, submerging him in the blood.

Loki didn't continue with the scrap, knowing Sean would somehow best him. Loki scrambled off Sean and leapt back to dryer ground. He extended both hands toward each sword, seeking to tip the scales in his favor.

The katana slid across the ground and shot into his outstretched hand.

The black blade did not.

"Crap." He muttered.

By then, Sean was already back on his feet. He reached into his coat. When his hand returned to view, the black blade was somehow in its grasp.

A wave of fear shot through Loki. He had no idea how he was going to win this.

Another feeling quickly followed. There was a familiar aura to Sean Collins. He'd encountered before.

In himself in a younger time.

And more recently, Peter Pan.

Suddenly, he knew what to do.

"Can't stand to see evolution take place?"

Sean stopped, thoroughly confused.

"Huh?"

Loki smiled internally. A brute warrior like Sean didn't bother thinking.

"Take a look at me, Sean. Can't you see I'm your descendent?"

Sean's eyes narrowed.

"Pussy like you? Never."

"I'm a modification of sorts. You were born from a deep scar. I was born from a later one. A much worse one."

"A WORSE hurt…bore YOU?" Sean looked positively reviled by the notion. He prepped his blade, ready to waste no more words.

"Of course. Yours was clearly localized. The town outside this building is empty. Have you ever left this place?"

The gears in Sean's head seized up. The thought was inconceivable.

"All you are…is a killer. You can't do anything else, Sean. Someone like you can't survive outside this slaughterhouse playground. But…"

Loki grew melancholy himself. Tears started welling in his eyes.

"I wish the hurt that bore me was so temporal. Yours was a place. A single place. Mine…was a betrayal of an entire life. A taint on an existence that can never be healed. An entire world blackened without hope of recovery. Trust in all things destroyed. You're almost lucky. Your prison is much smaller. The hurt that bore you is mostly healed. Mine…can't ever be."

Sean's blade lowered.

"You…came from me?"

Loki nodded solemnly.

"I'm the next step, built for the task at hand when I'm created. One day I may become the very thing you are. There's no cause to doubt it."

"What? What am I?" The harlequin-painted warrior softened in his stance.

"A past hero. A carrier of a task. Your task is through. Once it was complete, you were left behind, stuck in the place where your task ended. Since then, you're no longer a forger of paths. You're a guardian demon, holding a post to repel all that would blaze the trail farther. I exiled myself to avoid that fate when my task was complete. It took me to a whole new place. I became something very different. I wager you're still the same."

Sean started to shudder.

"Yes…you must be. Loki moved beyond you. The things that gave you form…he cast aside. Hated…then forgotten."

Sean's gaze grew sharp.

"Loki?" He asked, not having a clue who Loki was referring to.

"Oh. You ARE old. That name must not have meaning in your day."

"Loki…he's a Norse god. A Jotun. What about him? That's YOUR name!"

"Yes…he took it after me."

"What?!"

"I couldn't hope to explain. He changed up his game after you, Sean. Brute force wasn't his game any longer. Hence I'm not as adept as you. My skills are more widespread."

"Really? What do you have?" Sean asked, growing interested.

Loki's eyes drifted downward, toward the center of Sean's chest."

"Magic."

A demonic grin broke across the mage's face.

"And cunning."

Invisible forces pulled at Sean from all directions. The black blade went clanging to the floor.

For the first time, Sean showed genuine pain. The invisible force lifted him from the floor, continuing to stretch his body beyond even an immortal's capacity.

"AAAAAAAGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!" Sean screamed as his bones snapped from their sockets, and muscle ripped from ligaments.

"You're an honest guy, Sean. Which makes you very gullible." Loki said without a hint of remorse. "I told you I was darker."

He bent down and collected the black blade. Setting his katana on the floor, he leapt upward toward the prone warrior, cleaving him in two. The two halves, propelled by the invisible force, went splatting against opposite walls.

Landing on the pool of blood, Loki bounced off the fluid's surface as if it were rubber; vaulting upward once again.

Rearing back the black blade, he smashed it against the ceiling, raining down obsidian in splintered shards down on the lake of death that finally received its final sediment.

Loki didn't get to alight back on terra firma before his attention was drawn to a berserk yell echoing down a hallway near the entrance.

Loki steered his descent toward his katana on the floor, facing himself toward the incoming sound.

He didn't get a chance to land.

As his hand neared his weapon, something sharp plunged though the limb. He was hit hard in the back; sprawling floorward as the sharp implement wedged itself into the floor, pinning him down.

A flurry of strikes beat him senseless on the backside. All he could manage was to cover his head with his one free hand, but a well-placed stomp broke it. He reflexively pulled it away, opening himself for another stomp to the skull.

In his adrenaline-filled panic, he wrenched his pinned hand toward him, ripping it open in the process. He clumsily clutched at the tri-metal eye with his worthless paws, wishing for some way out.

In the space of an eyeblink, he found himself in a grassy field. Insects buzzed about, but they did not bother him.

Scrambling to his feet, aching in pain, he looked around for Atreyu and Falcor.

They were half-submerged in a creek that cut through the grasscape. Loki limped toward them on his bruised legs, and tripped over his katana, which was planted in the grass blade-down.

His hands were beginning to heal, but he cradled the blade in his armpit and wrenched it free without his arms.

Limping to and collapsing at the creek's bank, he conjured up some magic to lift them from the water, being for too spent to attempt it physically. Not to mention he couldn't hope to lift Falcor.

Time passed without measure. The trio lay motionless at the water's edge until the Greenskin and Luckdragon stirred. By then, Loki had fallen asleep.

A well-deserved reprieve later, the trio met their minds.

"How did we get here?" Atreyu asked.

"The medallion. I wished to get out of that school."

"Wished? Did you forgot anything?"

Loki's eyebrow arched. "How would remember if I forgot anything?" He quipped with opaque sarcasm.

"So where are we?" Falcor asked.

"Don't know." Loki gripped the medallion with his mended hands. "It brought us here for some purpose. We're closer now than we've ever been."

His eye twitched to the right. Feeling compelled to do something he'd never done before, he brought the tri-metal medallion up to his forehead.

Closing his own eyes, a hazy vision formed in his mind. Just beyond their view, there was a small collection of modest homes, similar to the ones in the previous village.

From within the haze, a bright light blasted from an unknown source.

"Gents…I think we've reached our destination."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The trio scuttled across the tall grass of the field until coming to a barbed wire fence. Loki didn't bother slowing down. He leapt up and over, landing without breaking stride. Atreyu grabbed hold of Falcor while the luckdragon bounded over the fence as well.

The landscape sloped up steeply to a road paved with small grey rocks. To their left, the road lead to a cul-de-sac ringed with houses. To the right, the road trailed off farther, bordered by trees. Beyond the arboreal barriers, more houses lay.

Loki wasn't stopping to take in the décor. He rushed right across the road, down into a severely steep decline in the backyard of a grey one-story house. He kept on running down and back up the sharp incline on the other side.

Falcor took a short flight across the gulch, ascending higher to pass over the grey house. He and Atreyu had to squint as the source of the light became unobscured.

A one-story house with brownish-red siding gleamed gaudily from the inner loop of a U-shaped subdivision. The houses, trees, and grass that fell within the ruthless glow were wrought with decay; falling apart in chunks. Skeletal frames of once-residences hung in pathetic turmoil, begging for final destruction.

Loki paid no attention. He ran toward his final goal. Falcor swooped down lower, but had to close his eyes from the onslaught of light.

Atreyu covered his face to bring some relief.

Loki, who'd had his eyes closed the whole time, bashed through the front door. He'd had the drop gotten on him every time, so there was no point in attempting stealth.

He was proven right when he was greeted with a slash of steel at his throat. He'd wisely entered the house with his blade up, catching the attack cold.

The offending katana bounced off the defending steel, circling around Loki's flank to strike at his sword arm.

Unable to move fast enough to defend, Loki leapt back away from the door, giving himself more room to maneuver. He bumped into a table seated for six people, and momentarily lost his balance.

For the first time, he got a good look at his opponent.

The other Loki was unmasked. His features were very hard and masculine, making him look older than the late teens age his body bore. He was leanly muscled and highly agile, looking at the peak of his physical prowess. Auryn hung from his neck, the twin snakes teasing with their duality.

Long blonde hair hung to his shoulders, waving partly in front of his bright blue eyes.

But those eyes held no kindness. Only rage and hate fixated on the other black-clad fighter. Each readied their blades for another exchange.

"Loki…there's nothing I can say you don't already know. Shall we?" The raven-maned Loki said with stone-cold seriousness.

The blonde Loki said nothing. He lunged, blade seeking flesh. Loki slipped aside, allowing the table to catch the brunt of the force.

The momentarily shock of impact gave Loki the chance to strike at the hands of his creator, hoping to lop them off.

The blonde Loki released his sword when he hit the table, and spread his arms out wide, pulling his limbs out of the line of attack.

Loki's katana hit the table with a crash, cleaving the end piece off. Blonde Loki fell forward when the piece supporting him gave way. He grabbed hold of Loki's arms as he fell, dragging them both to the floor.

As they crashed to the floor, the younger Loki twisted in mid-fall, slamming his elbow into Loki's groin.

Black-haired Loki grunted in pain while his grip loosened on the sword, sending it falling into the other Loki's grasp. A second elbow square in the nose stunned him long enough for the blonde Loki to pin him down and take his feet, brandishing the katana to finish the duel.

The front window shattered as Atreyu soared through, dagger ready to impale the soon-to-be-killer of his comrade.

Younger Loki swung his body aside, out of Atreyu's trajectory. The katana slashed downward to split the Greenskin in two.

Less than a half-second after Atreyu's entrance, Falcor smashed a hole through the wall, careening toward the standing Loki. The momentary distraction gave Atreyu the microsecond needed to fly past Loki and crash into the opposite wall.

The luckdragon was too big for Loki to avoid. He couldn't rechamber the sword fast enough to respond. The quartet smashed through the opposite wall in a mess of debris.

In the mangled mess of dust of bodies, the tri-metal eye around Loki's neck made contact with the Auryn around Loki's neck. The oval made by the white and black snakes bent and reshaped into a circle, containing the tri-metal eye within it.

A brilliant flash of light later, the quartet were in a location they were all familiar with.

The inside of Auryn glimmered just as Atreyu and Falcor remembered. The glittering pool holding the water of life stood just where it had before. The giant twin snakes wrapped around the borders of the chamber. Their massive eyes regarded the party with indifferent detachment.

One thing was different, however.

A fifth person was in the chamber this time.

He had the same face as the younger Loki, but it looked closer to the age of thirty. His hair was shorter, had a reddish tint, and was receding in a couple key places.

He wore a long black coat, like Loki's, but no weapon was visible in its recesses.

He wore split-toed boots and all-black attire. When he stepped forward, he made no sound.

As he neared, his expression looked to be one of pity.

The younger Loki, trapped beneath the pile of Atreyu, Loki, and Falcor; roared in rage and threw himself to his feet, sending the Fantastican trio sailing off. The younger Loki burned with fury greater than any had seen him fume until now.

"YOU!!!" He shouted, beckoning with the red-hilted katana.

"Me." The older said with unwavering calm.

"AAAAGGHHH!!!!" The younger attacked without hesitation, striking and slashing in a whirlwind of steel. The older slipped and weaved, evading every one.

"Your tricks are worn out. It's the same thing over and over, Jason."

"THAT'S NOT MY NAME!!!!!" The younger roared, swinging wildly at the older's neck. The older ducked. The blade swished harmlessly past, and the older slid into range, trapping the younger's arms.

Still in a bestial rage, the younger gnashed his teeth and thrust his crown forward, attempting to bite and headbutt the older man who held him fast. His opponent was out of range.

"There's likely no point in saying this, but it needs to be said." The older spoke with compassion. "You hate me, Jason. I know that. Of all the things you hate so much it clouds the mirror opaque, you hate me more than anything else. Very well. I deserve it."

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!" The younger bellowed in the older's ear. The older winced slightly.

"My ear's plenty damaged already. Little more won't do much."

The younger screamed with clenched teeth, trying to pull his arms free. The older placed his leg closely in front the younger's, so his attempted knee strike had no force.

"You're not Loki, Jason. Auryn reverted you back so far, you're the person I was before I became Loki. You're no further along than Sean Collins."

"SEAN COLLINS HAD A BACKBONE! HE WASN'T SOME PUSSY!"

"Yes…Sean did the things I should have done. What I should have done to keep you from ever existing. I didn't do those things. So you were born."

The younger tried to wrench his arms free once more. The older bent his knees, taking away any leverage.

"You know what? Those guys that made you…they were pieces of shit. Still are, I wager. You know what happened to them? They're buried in that valley. They'll never leave. They are what you elected to be. I fucked up…but they still got what they deserved."

"What about HER?" The younger screamed with a snarl.

"Who?...Oh, her. She was never worth your time. Delusional psychotic, that one. Very, very bad seed. Better off nothing ever happened."

"Even so…you know that it RUINED us!"

"Only for a little while. There was another."

"She was EVEN WORSE!"

"True, doesn't get much worse than betrayal…they each got more shit out of our system we needed to purge."

"GAVE US MUCH MORE!!!"

"Touché. They hurt more than they helped. So now what? Die?"

"YES!!!"

"Good to know we're in agreement."

The older raised his leg and kicked the younger into the water of life. The sword went clattering to the floor. The older kicked it toward the trio, who only shrunk away from the scene.

The younger Loki burst from the water, which was giving off steam.

"He still looks the same!" Atreyu whispered.

"It's only part of Loki. He doesn't have a true form." Loki whispered back.

"I'm confused." Falcor interjected.

The older and younger blonde Lokis faced off.

"Before this happens, Jason…I forgive you."

"FUCK YOU!!!"

The younger rushed in with bare fists flying. The older slipped low and to the side, popping up behind the younger with his hand clamped firmly on his throat. A quick kick in the leg sent the younger toppling to the floor.

The older's foot dug deep into the younger's knee, keeping him pinned.

"I'm sorry to do this. No water of life for you. I'm already spreading it. You're only getting in the way."

"You'll…never…stop…failing…" The younger croaked out through his constricted esophagus.

"You're right, I won't. I don't need you to keep reminding me."

The older clenched his hands tight around the younger's neck. With a primal yell, he tore the younger's head from his body with a sickening crack. Holding the decapitation prize aloft like a trophy for a fleeting moment, the older flung it backwards into the water of life.

Atreyu shot to his feet in outrage.

"You have defiled Auryn's treasure!"

The older Loki was unruffled.

"Not hardly. The water cleanses. I wouldn't dream of leaving a bloody corpse laying around in here."

He hefted the headless body and tossed it in the water. It began to dissolve under the rippling pool.

"Loki…" The black-haired Loki managed to blurt out in total befuddlement as he approached. "What was all that?"

"Budo, I guess." The older Loki shrugged. "I'd made the Hero's Journey before…with you, Loki, and you, Atreyu, Falcor…but as you all know now; you're not intended to do it only once. There's always more worn-out waste to purge."

"How did you get in here?" Atreyu asked.

Older Loki looked upward. The rest did the same.

On the ceiling of the Water Chamber was a tri-metal eye encompassing the entire top.

"I was with you the whole time." Older Loki winked. "But it's time to go. I spend too much time here as it is."

With a nod to the trio, he started to turn toward the exit. The snakes arched upward, allowing passage out of Fantastica.

A hand on his shoulder stopped him.

The fictional Loki was holding him back.

"It's been too long since I've seen you."

The real Loki pulled him into an embrace.

"I'm always there. You're still the best thing I ever made."

A moment later, they parted. The real Loki extended each hand to the Fantastican trio. He shook Atreyu's hand and Falcor's paw vigorously.

"A pleasure to walk with you both again."

"When was that?" Atreyu asked.

"You didn't see me. I was there. So were many others."

With a slight bow, he stepped away.

"Until who-knows-when, gents!"

He took with a boastful run through the snakes' archway out of sight. The snakes lowered themselves, sealing the exit.

A blinding flash of light later, the trio found themselves in the same grassy field, which was now devoid of houses.

Atreyu was holding Auryn. The tri-metal eye was gone.

"Well, that was fun." Loki said, breaking the awkward moment. "I guess we take that back to the Childlike Empress?"

"I suppose so." Falcor agreed. "Hop on!"

Loki and Atreyu climbed aboard the luckdragon.

They took off, relying on Auryn to lead the way back.

"Loki!" Falcor called from the air. "You told us you're familiar with our story. How about yours! We haven't heard it!"

"Good idea! It's a long ride back to the palace…"

THE END


End file.
